Half way there

Ouch! Ok, that hurt. Its hot here. I think I am on the ground; I'm not sure since my legs are in a strange position indicating that I am draped over something. I believe I was immobile for some time since my PASS alarm is shrilling in my ears and giving me a headache. I hate loud noises. Ok, I will admit that the whoop whoop of our Engine or Squad give me goosebumps even after all these years but that is different.

I can't move. Something heavy is on my legs. I try to kick and fight off the intruder giving me such discomfort but I can't move my legs. I'm irritated I am in this situation. Since I can't move, I will just have to wait for someone to get me out of here. And that alarm will scream until someone does. I swear, when they do, I will hammer it to pieces. Not being able to move has made me realize something. I HATE wrestling with the guys in the Station. One of our new "Physical activities" that we have recently taken an interest in (ok, the guys more than me since I'm not as strong as them!) .... and we have even hired an instructor.... is Wrestling. If I was better at wrestling, I am sure I could get myself out of this predicament. But I can't. Not yet at least.

My radio is blaring... I hear the Battalion Chief and my Captain talking to me, pleading for me to answer. I can't reach my radio. It must have fallen off my coat. I look around. I am (God knows WHERE!) but I suppose I am in the basement of the house we were fighting the fire in. My only thought is that I must have fallen through the floor. I am trying to think. Where was I before this place I am currently a prisoner in? I remember Nick. He was standing next to me. He was breaking the wall away. Rick was there with the hose. I remember yelling at one point telling them to get out of the house. I had a bad premonition. I felt Nick grab my coat. He was running with me in his grasp. Then I remember nothing until now. I don't know if Rick and Nick are ok and this concerns me more than my own plight.

I hear the commotion over the radio. They know where I am. What I don't like is the urgency in their commands and voices. I look around. I know it is hot. I am surrounded by a fire that is set on destroying everything in its path and it doesn't care about me. Why should it? I am only in the way of it's destructive path. To this fire I am just one more thing to gobble up. No big deal, right?

I hear the activity above me. They are making the hole in the floor that I fell through even wider. They must be careful otherwise they will join me down here and then I'll have all the unwanted company I can imagine. I see Nick through the smoke. I am relieved for that. But where is Rick?

It's getting hotter here. A look around again tells me I am 7 feet from a fire all around me. That isn't to mention any beams from overhead falling on me.

They say your life flashes before you when you think you are going to die. Mine doesn't. What happens is all the things that "caught my fancy" in my life throughout the years has found me laughing uncontrollably. Ok, anyone who knew I was crazy before can now say they were correct. Anyone who thought I was crazy has just had their suspicions confirmed.

I am thinking of the time my Father came home from work where he was a cake decorator and he was telling my Mom and I about the cats that waited by the back door to the Bakery every night when he arrived. He said they were feral cats and there were about 6 of them. He told us that they just loved the donuts he fed them. This had been going on for about three months. The following week I went with him to help him out at the Bakery. When we arrived, there were no cats to be found. He said my presence had probably scared them but they would come around. Half hour later, he looks out the door and tells me the cats are there and he is going to feed them. He takes out a large box of day-old donuts and proceeds to feed them. I go to watch him and am horrified. I am reminding him of how many times my Mother told him he needed glasses and that moment was one MAJOR reason why he needed them. "Dad? Those aren't feral cats........ they are feral SKUNKS! Can you PLEASE make an appointment with the eye doctor???"

My mind continues to wander......

I am remembering the time in High School when I had a VW Bug. I promised to take some friends to school one morning and I had "overbooked" my promises. Well, the VW only holds 5 but that day, there were 7 in my car. (I didn't have the heart to exclude anyone). It was raining that morning. We were packed in my VW, driving on the freeway. It was bad enough I had to use the stick shift between the legs of one of my male classmates but when my driver's side windshield wiper flew right off the car, I got to laughing so hard which made it hard trying to listen to the driving directions of the front seat passenger. I can't believe we made it to school without an accident!

My mind comes back to the present. Another alarm has sounded. Actually I heard the alarm before but ignored it. Couldn't do anything about it then and can't do anything about it now. The oxygen in my tank is almost depleted. I look up and can barely see the commotion going on through all the smoke. I still don't know where Rick is or if he is even ok. What I wouldn't do to be accidentally shot or stabbed by him just one more time in this life! What I wouldn't go to play one more joke, one more prank........... I don't want to die. I just want more chances to do all kinds of things in my life.

I can't breathe well now and I am tired..........

I get the feeling that my time is up because I can feel big hands lifting me up to Heaven. Didn't think I would go in that direction but I'm thankful all the same. I hear Rick's voice and figure something happened to him and he got to Heaven before me. Next thing I know I am being shouted at to breathe deeply and an oxygen mask is put over my face. I am thinking maybe I have to be resuscitated before going through Heaven's gates. Gotta walk through those gates on my own, right?

I slowly open my eyes and it hits me all at once. They have rescued me and I have oxygen again. I see Rick and in my heart I am glad he didn't get to Heaven before me. I'm also upset because now there is a 50% chance I won't get there at all. Darn. I was half way there!